Hemophilia

Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder that runs in families. It occurs because there are not enough factors contained in the blood to cause normal clotting. The severity of hemophilia is determined by the amount of clotting factor missing from the blood. The ranges are mild, moderate, and severe.

Hemophilia is passed on to children from mothers who carry the trait, but do not have symptoms. It affects mostly males. A man with the disease cannot pass it on to his sons. All of his daughters, however, may pass it on to their children. Newborns often show no signs of the disease until they are circumcised.

Signs may begin with bruising beneath the skin as a child starts to crawl or walk. Minor cuts and wounds are not a major problem. They are usually easy to treat with pressure and a bandage. However, internal bleeding is a major problem. Sometimes the problem is not known until troublesome bleeding occurs. This might follow surgery, tooth removal, or injury. In more severe cases, excessive bleeding happens often and without any apparent cause.

The signs and symptoms include:

• many large or deep bruises

• pain and swelling of joints caused by internal bleeding

• blood in the urine or stool and

• prolonged bleeding from cuts, injuries, surgery, or tooth removal

Emergency care is needed when bleeding cannot be stopped. The same urgent care is needed for sudden pain, swelling, and warmth of the large joints and muscles of the arms and legs. Constant pain, weakness, muscle loss, and nerve and joint damage can occur without proper care.

Bleeding episodes are controlled by adding the blood clotting factor back to the blood. People with hemophilia and their families are taught to do this at home, work, and school. Walking, biking, or swimming helps strengthen muscles and protect the joints. Contact sports and other activities that might cause internal bleeding should be avoided.

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